וְרָבְצוּ־שָׁ֣ם צִיִּ֔ים וּמָלְא֥וּ בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם אֹחִ֑ים וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ שָׁם֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֔ה וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָֽׁם׃
נאָר װילדע קעץ װעלן דאָרטן הױערן, און זײערע הײַזער װעלן פֿול זײַן מיט קלאָג-חיות; און שטרױספֿױגלען װעלן דאָרט רוען, און שֵדים װעלן דאָרט אומטאַנצן.
Vayikra Rabbah
“If the anointed priest shall sin so that he brings guilt on the people, he shall present for his sin that he sinned an unblemished young bull to the Lord, as a sin offering” (Leviticus 4:3).
If the anointed priest shall sin so that he brings guilt on the people, he shall present for his sin that he sinned an unblemished young bull to the Lord, as a sin offering.” That is what the verse says: “When He quiets, who can condemn? [When He conceals His face, who can see Him?]” (Job 34:29). Rabbi Meir expounded: He quiets His world and He conceals His face from His world, like a judge who spreads a curtain from within and does not see what transpires without. So too, the generation of the Flood said: “Clouds obscure for Him [and He does not see]” (Job 22:14). [The Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is enough, Meir. Rather, “When He quiets, who can condemn?” – He had granted tranquility to the generation of the Flood; who, then, could come and condemn them? What tranquility did He grant them? “Their offspring are well placed [nakhon] before them, with them, and their descendants are before their eyes”’ (Job 21:8).
Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis, Rabbi Levi said: The women [of the generation of the Flood] would conceive and give birth in three days. Here nakhon is stated, and there it is written: “Be prepared [nekhonim] in three days” (Exodus 19:15). Just as nakhon stated there is three days, so nakhon stated here is three days. The Rabbis say: A woman would conceive and give birth in one day. Here nakhon is stated and there it is written: “Be prepared [nakhon] for the morning” (Exodus 34:2). Just as nakhon stated there is one day, so too, nakhon stated here is one day. “And their descendants are before their eyes,” they would see their children and their grandchildren.
“They send out avileihem like a flock” (Job 21:11) – [avileihem means] their children. Rabbi Levi said: In Arabia they call a child avila. “And their children dance” (Job 21:11), like those demons, just as it says: “And the demons will dance there” (Isaiah 13:21). How so? When one of them would give birth during the day, she would say to her son: ‘Go and bring me a flint and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ When she would give birth at night, she would say to her son: ‘Go and kindle a lamp for me and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ There was an incident involving a certain woman who gave birth at night, and she said to her son, ‘Go and kindle a lamp for me and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ He went to kindle the lamp and a demon, the prince of the spirits, accosted him. While they were contending with each other, the rooster crowed. He said to him:1The demon said to the boy. ‘Go and exult to your mother and say to her that had the rooster not crowed I would have killed you.’2The crowing of the rooster indicated dawn, when the power of demons is diminished. He said to him:3The boy said to the demon. ‘Go and exult to your mother’s mother and say to her that my mother did not cut my umbilical cord. Had my mother cut my umbilical cord, I would have killed you,’ to realize what is stated: “Their houses are peaceful without fear” (Job 21:9) – of the demons. “And the rod of God is not upon them” (Job 21:9) – [they are] free of suffering.
When He concealed His face, who could tell Him that He did not act properly? In what sense did He conceal His face from them? He brought the waters of the Flood upon them “and He obliterated all existence…” (Genesis 7:23). “To nation and man alike” (Job 34:29); “nation,” this is the generation of the Flood, “man,” this is Noah. “Alike,” He could produce His world from one person; “alike,” as He could produce His world from one nation.4God’s power is such that repopulating the world from one individual, Noah, was the same as repopulating it from an entire nation.
If the anointed priest shall sin so that he brings guilt on the people, he shall present for his sin that he sinned an unblemished young bull to the Lord, as a sin offering.” That is what the verse says: “When He quiets, who can condemn? [When He conceals His face, who can see Him?]” (Job 34:29). Rabbi Meir expounded: He quiets His world and He conceals His face from His world, like a judge who spreads a curtain from within and does not see what transpires without. So too, the generation of the Flood said: “Clouds obscure for Him [and He does not see]” (Job 22:14). [The Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is enough, Meir. Rather, “When He quiets, who can condemn?” – He had granted tranquility to the generation of the Flood; who, then, could come and condemn them? What tranquility did He grant them? “Their offspring are well placed [nakhon] before them, with them, and their descendants are before their eyes”’ (Job 21:8).
Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis, Rabbi Levi said: The women [of the generation of the Flood] would conceive and give birth in three days. Here nakhon is stated, and there it is written: “Be prepared [nekhonim] in three days” (Exodus 19:15). Just as nakhon stated there is three days, so nakhon stated here is three days. The Rabbis say: A woman would conceive and give birth in one day. Here nakhon is stated and there it is written: “Be prepared [nakhon] for the morning” (Exodus 34:2). Just as nakhon stated there is one day, so too, nakhon stated here is one day. “And their descendants are before their eyes,” they would see their children and their grandchildren.
“They send out avileihem like a flock” (Job 21:11) – [avileihem means] their children. Rabbi Levi said: In Arabia they call a child avila. “And their children dance” (Job 21:11), like those demons, just as it says: “And the demons will dance there” (Isaiah 13:21). How so? When one of them would give birth during the day, she would say to her son: ‘Go and bring me a flint and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ When she would give birth at night, she would say to her son: ‘Go and kindle a lamp for me and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ There was an incident involving a certain woman who gave birth at night, and she said to her son, ‘Go and kindle a lamp for me and I will cut your umbilical cord.’ He went to kindle the lamp and a demon, the prince of the spirits, accosted him. While they were contending with each other, the rooster crowed. He said to him:1The demon said to the boy. ‘Go and exult to your mother and say to her that had the rooster not crowed I would have killed you.’2The crowing of the rooster indicated dawn, when the power of demons is diminished. He said to him:3The boy said to the demon. ‘Go and exult to your mother’s mother and say to her that my mother did not cut my umbilical cord. Had my mother cut my umbilical cord, I would have killed you,’ to realize what is stated: “Their houses are peaceful without fear” (Job 21:9) – of the demons. “And the rod of God is not upon them” (Job 21:9) – [they are] free of suffering.
When He concealed His face, who could tell Him that He did not act properly? In what sense did He conceal His face from them? He brought the waters of the Flood upon them “and He obliterated all existence…” (Genesis 7:23). “To nation and man alike” (Job 34:29); “nation,” this is the generation of the Flood, “man,” this is Noah. “Alike,” He could produce His world from one person; “alike,” as He could produce His world from one nation.4God’s power is such that repopulating the world from one individual, Noah, was the same as repopulating it from an entire nation.
Sifra
8) (Vayikra 17:7) "And they shall sacrifice no more their sacrifices to the satyrs (se'irim)": "se'irim" are shedim (demons), viz. (Isaiah 13:21) "And se'irim will dance there." "after which they go astray": to include other forms of idolatry. "an everlasting statute": for the Temple.
Shemot Rabbah
“No foreigner shall eat of it” – to fulfill what is stated: “He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel” (Psalms 147:19). The Holy One blessed be He said to them that they should not intermingle with another nation, and they should not know its secrets, but rather you shall remain by yourselves. In this world, when Israel partook of the paschal offering, they ate it hastily, as it is stated: “So you shall eat it…[and you shall eat it hastily]” (Exodus 12:11), commemorating: “For in haste you departed from the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 16:3). However, in the future: “For you shall not go out hastily, and you shall not go in flight” (Isaiah 52:12). To what is this matter comparable? To a merchant who came to stay at an inn. He stayed there all day, and at night, he arose and took everything that was his and set out on the way. The innkeeper arose in the morning and began screaming: ‘Look – this merchant arose at night and took everything that was mine and departed!’ That merchant heard and said: ‘What caused me to hear this? It is only because I departed at night. Therefore, I swear that I will no longer depart at night.’ So, Israel prepared themselves at night, to leave early in the morning. The Egyptians arose after they went and said: ‘Let us pursue them, because they took everything that was ours,’ as it is stated: “The Egyptians pursued them” (Exodus 14:9). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘What caused you all this? It is the haste in which you departed. From now on, “for you shall not go out hastily.”’ In the past, I and My court would go before them, as it is stated: “The Lord went before them by day [in a pillar of cloud, to guide them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire…]” (Exodus 13:21). However, in the future, it will be I alone, as it is stated: “For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12).